Loose-leaf-book attachment.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

F PHOENIX LOOSE LEAF BOOK ATTACHMENT APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1903.

UNITE STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

FRED PHOENIX, OF VVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

LOOSE-LEAF-BOOK ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,986, dated February 21, 1905.

Application filed November 3, 1903. Serial No. 179,679.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED PHOENIX, a citizen of the United States, residing in VVaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf-Book Attachments, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention pertains to loose-leaf-book attachments which may be employed in connection with account-books, ledgers, or memorandumbooks wherein the system of loose leaves is employed.

Among other objects one is to provide a plurality of devices for holding leaves within a book-cover, to operate said devices automatically and simultaneously from a given point, and to lock the devices in an open position during the removal or addition of leaves.

Another object is to provide for the automatic closure of the devices, preferably through theinstrumentality of a resilient member, and also to so arrange the entire device that the back of the book maybe suitably secured thereto.

Referrring to such drawings as form a part of this specification, and in which one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device with the outer covers removed, but holding a plurality of loose pages. Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the rear of the device, showing a plurality of cam-slots for operating the plurality of holding devices for the leaves. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing a preferred method of application of the cover to the de vice and also showing the parts assembled. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the leaf-holding devices. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary illustration showing a preferred spring construction; and Fig. 6 is a fragment of a page, showing the hole for the jaw and latter thereon. Fig. 7 is a fragment of the backpieee, and Fig. 8 shows a modified form of application for the cover.

Like parts are designated by similar characters of reference.

In the form of construction illustratedI may provide a base 1, which maybe bent upon itself to form two walls 2 and 3, respectively, one of which walls may be slotted, as at 4, and

- I through'such slots will proceed the. holding devices for the leaves or pages. These devices 5 in the present instance may comprise two curved jaws 6 and 7, which may be hinged at any suitable point, preferably at their lower portion-eas, for instance, at 8-and each of these jaws on its bottom portion is provided with a stud 9 and 10, respectively, which pass into the slots 4 and extend beneath the wall 3 of the back-piece 1. 7

Situated between the walls 2 and 3 of the back-piece 1 and which may be free to reciprocate along the longitudinal axis of said backpiece is a member 11, preferably in the form of an elongated plate, which in the present instance may be provided with a thumb-piece 12, which may project beyond'the end of the back of the book when the parts are assembled. This member or plate 11 may be provided with a plurality of cam-slots 13, which in the present instance may be situated in pairs and so arranged that in their relation, as shown, they may converge at a suitable point toward each other and are parallel for a certain distance, so as to cause a positive locking of the hooks in closed positionfor instance, as shown in Fig. 2and at those ends which are nearest one another for instance, as at 14: such cam grooves or slots may be so suitably enlarged or otherwise constructed as to provide a rest for purposes later on to be mentioned. The portions or studs 9 and 10 hereinbefore referred to which are carried by the jaws 6 and 7 of the leaf-holdingdevices 5 are adapted to locate in these cam-slots 13, as clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and such jaws may thereby be operated by the movement of the plate 11 longitudinally with relation to the back-piece 1, when, as is obvious, the jaws 6 and 7 may be opened and closed at will, and where a plurality of such jaws are employed the opening and closing thereof may be simultaneously effected. In other words, assuming, for instance, that the jaws are closed when the studs 9 and 10 are positioned in the cam-slots, as shown.

for the introduction of leaves or pages 16, and when the thumb-piece 12 is again pushed toward the book the said jaws will be forced closed by the cam-slots through the instrumentality of said studs. If desired, the jaws of the device may be made to have a spring action in their operation, and for-this purpose, as shown in Fig. 5, each of the jaw elements 6 and 7 at or near their hinging-point 8 may be provided with recess or slots 17 and 18, respectively, of any suitable contour or construction andin which may be located a spring 19, which will tend to automatically constantly close the jaws. This spring or other resilient device may in the present instance comprise a U-shaped member, as seen in Fig. 5, which may be located in a likewise-shaped groove or recess, a part of which is located in each of the jaws 6 and 7.

Any suitable means or methods of applying the cover to the back-piece 1 may be adopted at will, and in the present instance that form which is shown in Fig. 3 illustrates that the cover may be applied by introducing suitable flaps 20 and 21 between the walls 2 and 3 of the back-piece 1 and to such flaps attaching the backs or covers 22. The flap 21 after its introduction between the walls is passed around the back-piece 1, whereupon it may be pasted or otherwise secured, while the flap 20 may proceed from between the walls to the bookcover 22. Of course it is understood that these flap-pieces 20 and 2.1 may be suitably pasted or otherwise secured together before their introduction between the walls, as aforementioned.

It will now be seen that I provide a backpiece in the form of a plate which is provided with a movable member adapted to actuate a plurality of leaf-holding devices which may be operated to open and close, so as to remove or add detachable leaves or pages at will. It will also be observed that when the jaws of the leaf-holding devices are in their open position they may be thus automatically retained and that when it is desired to close the jaws such closing will be permanently effected.

It will be further noted that there is provided a plurality of leaf-holding devices adapted to open and close in a plane perpendicular to that of the plane of introduction of the leaves, whereby, as is obvious, many more leaves or pages may be introduced than in cases where leaf-holding devices have a movement in a plane, for instance, oblique to the plane of introduction of the leaves; further, by opening and closing the jaws in the manner speciiiedthat is, perpendicular to the plane of introduction of the leaves-those which are already in the book will not be disarranged or disheveled in any manner.

It will also be observed that by providing the resilient member between the jaws of the leaf-holding devices, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 5, and by employing a plurality of these, all cooperating with a single actuatingplate, the latter through the instrumentality of the spring-actuated holding devices will in turn become automatically operative. Hence when the jaws are drawn to an open position for the introduction or removal of leaves the devices may return automatically to a closed position after beingdisengaged from the pockets 14.

It will also be noted that by a lateral opening of the jaws that is,opening in a plane perpendicular to the introduction of the leaves there is less liability to tear the edges of the openings in the leaves than there would be if the jaws moved in any other plane-for instance, in a plane oblique to that of the introduction of the leaf.

It is to be understood that the precise construction as illustrated forms only one embodiment of the present invention and that other modifications, changes, or omission of parts and other methods of operation may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of said invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. Anarticle of manufacture comprising an element bent upon itself to form a back-piece having two walls, a movable member mounted between said walls and provided with a pinrality of cam-slots located in pairs, and a plurality of leaf-holding devices provided with projections adapted to lit in said slots, said devices being opened and closed by the longitudinal movement of said movable member.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a back-piece which is bent upon itself to form two walls, a movable member located between said walls and adapted for longitudinal movement with relation thereto and provided with a plurality of cam-slots located in pairs which for a certain distance are parallel, and a plurality of leaf-holding devices provided with projections which pass into said cam-slots and which are opened and closed by the movement of said movable member, the said parallel portions of said slots causing a positive locking of the leaf-holding devices when closed.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a member bent upon itself to form walls, a plate fitted between said walls and provided with pairs of cam-slots, the slots of each pair being for a certain distance parallel and also converging,a plurality ofleaf-holding devicesmounted in slots in said member and having studs adapted to take in said cam-slots whereby upon movement of the plate a simultaneous movement of the devices takes place to either open or close the same, said parallel portions causing a positive locking of the devices when in closed position.

FRED PHOENIX. Witnesses:

FRED. W. BARNAOLO, ULYSSES G. CHURCH.

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